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Special Warfare: Restructuring for the Future
From the thesis abstract: "The special forces operational detachment-alpha (SFODA) has remained virtually unchanged since its inception in 1956. However, throughout its history, the SFODA has frequently been augmented with various assets, particularly civil affairs. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the SFODA in its current form and make recommendations for its future composition and focusing of resources. Throughout its history, the SFODA has been augmented to accomplish its missions during conflicts. Particularly frequent has been augmentation by civil affairs and psychological warfare personnel. As special forces plays an important if not leading role in low-intensity conflict, they will continue to rely upon these assets. This thesis approaches the challenge of restructuring the SFODA by examining three cases in which special forces, or special operations forces, were used: World War II (the Jedburghs and Detachment 101), Vietnam (special forces), and Afghanistan (special forces). Based on an examination of these cases, this thesis offers recommendations on force structure, recruiting, and training for the future."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Wood, Matthew R.
2016-06
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Key to Enduring Peace: Reforms in Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan
From the thesis abstract: "During the Cold War and the ongoing Global War On Terrorism, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan formed the strongholds of mujahedeen-turned terrorists. For the last four decades, the tribespeople of FATA have been the victims of terror and socio-economic deprivation. The tribal traditions and the semiautonomous status of FATA- in accordance with the constitution of Pakistan- barred Pakistan's administration from imposing any order in the FATA. In the absence of any real law enforcement and governance mechanism in FATA, the Taliban thrived- and exported terror to the outside world. After 9/11, amid international pressure, Pakistan's government endeavored to establish its writ in FATA. As part of this process, Pakistan's Army drove the Taliban from FATA through a decade-long military campaign. Now, to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, Pakistan must integrate FATA into the national mainstream by imposing the full constitutional framework on the lawless region. This thesis examines the integration options available to Pakistan to absorb FATA into its national system and examines the possibility of merging FATA with Khyber Pakhtun Khaw province- which has significant ethnic, religious, and cultural similarities, though it has been part of Pakistan's federal system for 70 years. Specifically, this thesis highlights the administrative and economic reforms necessary to establish effective state control and to bring the FATA to equal status with Pakistan's other provinces."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Khan, Muhammad Waqar Khalid
2016-12
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Turkey's Civil-Military Relations in the Fight Against the PKK: How Has This Unconventional Task Affected the Control-Effectiveness Balance?
From the thesis abstract: "The roles and missions of militaries around the world are expanding into new areas. This, inevitably, affects the existing concepts of civil-military relations, and forces us to rethink those concepts in light of new roles and missions for the military. These issues are pertinent particularly to recently democratized countries such as Turkey. Since its path to democratization in 1946, Turkey has endeavored to develop democratic civil-military relations. Starting in the 1980s, Turkey's civil-military relations have been particularly influenced by an internal security threat-the Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan (PKK). The Turkish governments have utilized a concerted action of the police and gendarmerie forces, affiliated under the Ministry of Interior, and the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) against this terrorist organization, with the Turkish Armed Forces as the leading actor. This thesis assesses the effects of the non-traditional roles and missions assigned to the TAF within this context on democratic civilian control. Even though there have been minor changes at the institutional level, the TAF's intense involvement in the fight against the PKK has created a cultural shift from confrontation to cooperation between the civilians and the soldiers, and thus has increased the level of cooperation. This harmony has provided the actors with an opportunity to lay firm foundations for democratic civilian control without provoking the TAF, and increased military effectiveness without creating a sense of threat over civilians still being haunted by memories of past coups."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Isik, Yildirim
2016-09
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Insider Threat Data Sharing
From the thesis abstract: "Insider threat is a significant problem for both governmental and private organizations. Individuals can do immense harm with their trusted accesses. To combat this threat, organizations have created departments with trained analysts whose sole purpose is to deter, detect, and mitigate the insider threat. These analysts monitor employees and analyze activities to detect dangerous practices, whether witting or unwitting, and report these actions to supervisors for mitigation. When organizations share insider threat information among each other, it can improve all organizations' abilities to deter, detect, or mitigate the insider threat. The challenge lies in merging external and existing data with as little human interaction as possible. This thesis examines the work that takes place in an insider threat department and identifies requirements for a solution that would allow for information sharing between organizations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Sellen, Jeremey J.
2016-09
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Enhancing SAARC Disaster Management: A Comparative Study With Asean Coordinating Centre For Humanitarian Assistance On Disaster Management
From the thesis abstract: "The devastating earthquakes that ravaged Nepal in the spring of 2015 demonstrated the risk of disaster that affects all of South Asia. They also demonstrated the real limits to a regional disaster management and response. According to The Kathmandu Post, almost 4175 troops from 18 countries were deployed for rescue and relief operations. All South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states except Afghanistan and Maldives rushed to help in the Nepalese tragedy. SAARC had no plan for this response mode of transporting relief materials. The lack of a pre-coordinated plan or resource management created tensions even in the capital Kathmandu. The situation in remote areas, where the road links were damaged and helicopters were the only mode of transporting relief materials, was even worse. The elements of a more effective structure for disaster response in the region may be at hand within SAARC. Political leaders all voice their support for regional effort to respond to or mitigate the frequent natural disasters in South Asia, but SAARC has not been able to establish strong institutions for coordinated response to higher magnitude disasters. This thesis examines why SAARC has not been able to form or sustain a strong disaster management organization and, based in part on other regions' experiences with coordinated disaster management, which elements would contribute to a more effective regional disaster management within SAARC framework."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Lamichhane, Sharad
2016-03
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Strategies Used in Capture-the-Flag Events Contributing to Team Performance
From the thesis abstract: "Capture-the-flag (CTF) exercises are useful pedagogical tools and have been employed, both formally and informally, by academic institutions. Much like their physical counterparts, cyber CTF exercises hold pedagogical value and are gaining wide popularity. Existing studies on CTF exercises examined either how they benefit learning, or are best conducted. To our knowledge, no formal study has yet looked at the relationship between the strategies and tactics that the CTF participants employ (as defined by their offensive and defensive tactics), and the performance of participants in these events. In this thesis, we studied network traffic and game state data from the DEFCON 22 CTF event. We developed tools to extract features from large volumes of network data; we then correlated these features with game state data to piece together strategies that the participating teams seemingly employ. We learned that several teams employed effective tactics such as capturing their opponents' exploits from the network to reuse them, employing automation to help with launching their exploits, obfuscating their attacks and attack responses, and attacking the client hosts of other teams."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Yam, Wye Kede Jerel
2016-03
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Decision Model for U.S.-Mexico Border Security Measures
From the thesis abstract: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has invested billions of dollars to prevent illegal drugs, immigration, weapons, and currency from transiting across the U.S.-Mexico border. DHS has not created a sufficient standardized method to measure whether an investment in a security measure is cost-effective when combining assets. To take it one step further, DHS has not created a model that combines cost-effectiveness of a security asset while simultaneously determining how it will contribute to achieving operational control of the border. This study provides an in-depth look into the current risk-based model DHS uses, the administrative and physical infrastructure of U.S.-Mexico border security, and a critical view of DHS' annual budget. A decision model is presented that will give policymakers a process to choose a combination of border security investments that will achieve operational control of the border while remaining within budgeting constraints. A lot of work needs to be done for DHS to determine the correct security assets to be placed at the U.S.-Mexico Border to maintain operational control and cost-effectiveness. This study does not determine which security assets need to be put into place, but it provides a decision process that will be an asset for policymakers to save federal time and money assigned to border security investments."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Lavender, Matthew L.
2017-09
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Citizen-Soldier and Homeland Security in the Twenty-First Century
From the abstract: "This thesis examines the evolution of the civil-military relations gap that has been exacerbated by the recent attacks against America It then discusses this new and troubling gap and the negative implications to the Global War on Terrorism and Homeland Security[.] The thesis then offers the National Guard as a means of narrowing the gap, by linking the people of the community through the state to the federal government, and recognizing that first responders are the key to Homeland Security. This thesis reviews the long and successful history of the National Guard in both warfightng and domestic support to civil authorities from the perspective of an underlying tension that has existed between the citizen-soldier and the professional standing army for more than 350 years. This stressed relationship shaped the laws of our country that define the dual state-federal role of the National Guard. It concludes with recommendations policy makers may consider when preparing for both the internal and external threats from terrorism including the National Guard Counterdrug Support Program, the Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams and post 9/11 National Guard military support to civil authorities (MSCA)."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Brookman, Jay A.
2002-12
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Sufficiency of Navy Handgun Training for Force Protection Watchstanders
From the Thesis Abstract: "Military training recently has come under review in the face of numerous service member non-combat deaths. Many of these incidents have catalyzed major changes in procedure and training, but in response to the lesser known USS Mahan shooting incident, the naval small arms training program was not scrutinized. Therefore, this thesis will investigate the following research question: Does Navy handgun training bestow the acquisition, retention, and proficiency of small arms skills necessary to counter real-world threats? This thesis analyzes the sufficiency of the naval small arms training program as written in OPNAVINST 3591.1F. Sufficient conditions for small arms training are developed through a review of quantitative research findings conducted on motor skill acquisition, retention, and proficiency. Based on these sufficient conditions, the naval small arms training program is insufficient to produce watchstanders able to counter real-world threats. In particular, it does not contain a formalized standard operating procedure for instruction, a training timeline, mandatory practice during skill acquisition, or mandatory practice during the one-year training cycle. Most importantly, the training lacks the verisimilitude necessary to prepare force protection watchstanders for the real-world shooting environment, to include the psychological stress of an actual engagement."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Tate, David A.
2019-09
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Use of Social Media and Smartphone Applications for Reporting Suspicious and Criminal Activities to Mass Transit Law Enforcement Agencies
From the thesis abstract: "The threat of terrorism remains in the forefront daily, and public transportation systems remain a preferred target for terrorist attacks. Mass transit customers have long served as the 'eyes and ears' of the public transportation environment. In support of the Department of Homeland Security's See It Say It campaign, mass transit customers contribute to this effort by reporting suspicious and criminal activities on subways and buses. The use of social media networks and mobile phone applications by mass transit law enforcement is slowly evolving as a tool for reporting suspicious and criminal activities on subways and buses. By reviewing the data and current use of social media networks and smartphone applications such as by mass transit law enforcement agencies, this thesis demonstrates that citizens want to play a role in assisting law enforcement in solving crimes. Mass transit law enforcement agencies can leverage community involvement and reduce crime by providing customers with an anonymous means for reporting suspicious and criminal activities. However, whether the use of social media networks and smartphone applications have resulted in an increase in reporting suspicious and criminal activities and a reduction in crime is unresolved, warranting future study in this area."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Donald, Jennifer S.
2013-12
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Blockchain Testbed for DoD Applications
From the Abstract: "Although initially introduced to support the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, many blockchain technology applications have been envisioned. As a result, blockchain platforms have been created and others are under development. The Department of Defense (DoD) needs blockchain platform testbeds so that applications beyond cryptocurrency can be explored. To solve this problem, we decided to construct a small blockchain testbed. We developed criteria to aid in selecting a blockchain platform for use in a testbed. Then, we evaluated a set of blockchain platforms against our criteria, selected the highest-ranking platform, and used it to create the testbed. We installed and exercised applications provided by the platform's developers to test its behavior. Study of the services provided by the platform allowed us to propose the design of an application that could be tailored for DoD use. The selected blockchain platform, Hyperledger Fabric, was hosted in lightweight virtual machines called Docker containers and can be used for design and experimentation on applications and blockchain networks. This lowered the effort and resources required to configure and set up blockchain networks. Hyperledger Fabric is an example of a blockchain platform that can support more use cases beyond cryptocurrency."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Shaw, Markus R.
2018-09
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Analysis of Department of Defense (DOD) Support in Domestic Disaster Relief
From the thesis Abstract: "Our research analyzed Department of Defense (DoD) involvement in the disaster relief efforts for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. During the 2017 hurricane season, the United States experienced three major hurricanes in rapid succession. These events tested the hurricane responses of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and have left some wondering why the DoD was slow to respond. Through our research, we evaluated the FEMA Mission Assignments (MAs) to U.S. agencies and analyzed how the DoD was employed in Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) operations during these events. Our three hypotheses were as follows: (1) DoD utilization in domestic hurricane relief is less than other agencies; (2) there are common tasks in every hurricane disaster that DoD could focus on to improve response; and (3) pre-positioning has a positive effect on the quality of disaster response. Our findings show that DoD is the most utilized agency for domestic disaster relief efforts, tasked with between 38% to 49% of all mission assignments. FEMA's utilization of DoD is predominantly in transportation; public works and engineering; logistics management and resource support; search and rescue; and external affairs. The outcomes of Harvey, Irma, and Maria also support the importance of pre-positioning for disaster relief efforts."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Ho, Eugene; Davis, Daniel C.
2018-06
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MOVES Institute [website]
"The Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation Institute was founded in 2000, but MOVES as an academic program was founded in 1996 with the launch of the Master of Science program, followed by the Doctoral program in 1999. The Institute is intended to be a mix of the strong analysis tradition of the Operations Research Department and the simulation, training, and software development expertise of the Computer Science Department. The Institute has its roots in the NPSNET Research Group founded in 1986. NPSNET was the original low-cost, government owned, SIMNET and DIS compatible visual simulator. It was widely used around the world and was integrated into many government programs over its lifetime. The Institute was also the birthplace of America's Army. Sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army: Manpower and Reserve Affairs, America's Army was our first venture into the use of video game technology for defense applications. Development has since left the Institute, but many millions of players have downloaded and played America's Army since 2000. Recent initiatives include the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF) that uses web services for interoperability of M&S systems, and also the Delta3D Open Source Game-Based Simulation Engine."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
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Russian Relationships With the West: The Implications for Military Reform
"This thesis examines the impact of NATO-Russia relations on the process of military reform in the Russian Federation. The military reform process within Russia that aims to create a lean, professional military that Russia can afford and that will better serve Moscow's defense needs is hampered by a lingering perception of a threat from the United States and NATO, despite significant evidence to the contrary. A reformed military would reduce the burden on Russia's economy and would be better matched to the immediate and future security needs of the Russian state. A cooperative relationship between Moscow and the West could help to ease the perception of a threat posed by NATO. This could encourage the creation of a Russian military capable of joint operations with Western militaries, especially in the realm of counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations. A military reformed along these lines could serve as a cornerstone for a strengthened Russian democracy that would allow Russia to become, once again, a player on the world stage. A willingness by NATO and the United States to pursue increased military and political cooperation with Moscow offers an opportunity to influence positively the military reform process within Russia."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Gray, Jeremy
2002-12
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Theater Ballistic Missile Defenses: An Emerging Role for the Navy?
"The end of the Cold War has brought about significant changes in the international and national security environments that present tremendous implications for the US military. The strategic threat of global nuclear war has diminished considerably. While that threat is diminished, an [sic] new threat is emerging. Ballistic missile proliferation and related weapons of mass destruction are one of the major threats to stability in the new security environment. Ballistic missile systems are seen as destabilizing weapons that are a threat to regional peace and American vital interests in certain regions. This thesis addresses the possible need for theater ballistic missile defenses in the US Navy as one element of a national strategy to defeat ballistic missiles in future regional conflicts. Specifically, it addresses the naval role for ballistic missile defenses, including an analysis of the present and future threat, an examination of how the missile defenses dovetail into the national security strategy of regional contingencies, and the means by which the defenses can be employed. The issue of the threat involves demonstrating that a threat presently exists and that technological improvements in the future will greatly increase their utility and put many more targets, including US Navy ships, at risk. The issue of the role that missile defenses fill in the national security strategy deals with their contributions to the fundamental pillars of that strategy. The issue of naval roles addresses the missions and tasks that a sea-based system can provide across the spectrum of naval warfare. The means which the defenses can be employed is addressed to demonstrate how the US Navy can be a major contributor using the Aegis construct."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Pitts, James E.
1992-12
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Port Security in the Persian Gulf
"The United States and the international community have implemented numerous measures since 2001 designed to improve the security of maritime commerce. Special attention has been paid to the vulnerability of port facilities to exploitation by terrorists or other illicit actors. While the implementation of enhanced port security measures in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iraq may have improved some aspects of maritime security, significant vulnerabilities remain. While strong physical security at ports and stringent inspection regimes for container cargo are important elements in protecting maritime infrastructure worldwide, port security measures may yet be undermined by a failure to provide mechanisms which verify the identities and credentials of all individuals with access to ports, secure non-container cargo, and prevent illicit actors from accessing and exploiting port facilities."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Munson, Mark
2008-06
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Defending U.S. National Interests in the Persian Gulf: Going Light
"Is it possible to defend U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf through the use of primarily SOF/light forces? How might implementing this type of force structure affect the perception of U.S. involvement in the region and its ability to project power on a scale commensurate with its interests? This thesis examines two ways that the U.S. might be able to secure its interests in the Gulf using a minimalist approach. The two methods evaluated are using sea bases in the Gulf and land bases in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa as forward staging bases for SOF operations in the Persian Gulf. The study looks at these two options in terms of costs and benefits both fiscally and physically in terms of the impact that these bases would have on the populations in the Gulf."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Gretz, Michael A.
2008-03
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Covering the Homeland: National Guard Unmanned Aircraft Systems Support for Wildland Firefighting and Natural Disaster Events
"Over the past decade, the United States Government has had to cope with increasingly severe large-scale natural disasters. The 2004 hurricane season alone caused 167 deaths and an estimated $46 billion in damages. The following year, Hurricane Katrina took 1,330 lives and caused an estimated $96 billion in damages. The 2007 fire season saw over 85,000 wildland fires consume more than 9.3 million acres. In Southern California alone, wildfires forced over half a million people to evacuate their homes, destroyed over 3,079 structures, and caused over $1.8 billion in damages. This thesis examines the possible nontraditional and creative use of unmanned aircraft systems to mitigate the threat and effects of natural disasters, assist with search and rescue, and aid post disaster recovery efforts. This work investigates the use of National Guard unmanned aircraft systems to provide lead agencies support prior to, during, and following major disaster incidents. The thesis also explores the benefits and challenges to setting up National Guard units operating unmanned aircraft systems within the United States equipped with specialized sensors in a similar fashion to the National Guard modular airborne firefighting system, and offers subjects for follow on research."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Moose, Robert G.
2008-12
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Operation Noble Eagle and the Use of Combat Air Patrols for Homeland Defense
"This thesis considers why the United States Air Force is still flying combat air patrols (CAPs) over the United States in support of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) more than seven years after 9/11. The USAF is struggling to support two regional conflicts while defending the homeland and trying sustain and recapitalize its fleet of aircraft. Given these broader long-term requirements, it is time to reevaluate the need for ONE's costly airborne CAPs, in light of improvements in aviation security, together with the absence of terrorist attacks on the homeland and of no actionable intelligence indicating an imminent air threat in America. The following sub-areas were researched to help evaluate and recommend changes to the current ONE CAP policy: the history of air defense in America; U.S. air defense mistakes on 9/11 and the evolution of ONE; improvements in the intelligence community and aviation security since 9/11; specific threats to aviation and the risk of another 9/11-style attack in the United States; and the cost and impact of the ONE alert and CAP missions on the combat capability of the participating USAF squadrons. The thesis concludes by considering other, more cost effective, air defense systems available to support Noble Eagle in lieu of fighter CAPs."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Reents, Mark J.
2008-12
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Conducting the Softer Side of Counterinsurgency
"In a counterinsurgency (COIN) the local population becomes the center of gravity. Over the past three years, the U.S. military has rewritten many field manuals that focus on COIN, to include a significant change to FM 3-0, Operations, and a complete revision of FM 3-24, Counterinsurgency. These changes in doctrine have forced the U.S. military's conventional force to reconsider its use of the kinetic force and begin to understand the use of more non-kinetic means, or the softer side of COIN, in order to reach sustainable peace. If non-kinetic actions are the way forward, how should units (battalion and below) be applying the softer side of COIN? This thesis considers through context and assessment the goals that are needed to achieve the right mix of kinetic and non-kinetic actions. Practitioners suggest that information operations, situational awareness, cultural awareness and empathy are key components of effective counterinsurgency. This thesis argues further that network development and command influence have vital multiplier effects on these components. Without command influence, none are likely to take hold. Therefore, the thesis argues that command influence is the key aspect in achieving a balance between kinetic and non-kinetic actions, in order to conduct effective COIN."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Ransone, Bart D.
2008-12
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Nuclear and Solar Energy: Implications for Homeland Security
"In the eyes of many experts, the world is moving away from oil as a cheap energy source. As this future unfolds, the United States may perform a leading role as the planet's premier energy consumer. Solar and nuclear power provide possibilities for this future which represent the extremes in terms of energy supply. The question this thesis asks is: what are the security implications of a substantial shift in energy policy in either a solar or nuclear direction? The analysis begins with a question, 'What is a substantial shift?' and defines substantial in terms of energy shortage, energy independence, and climate change. The proposed energy futures to match these shifts are then judged with respect to three security criteria: resource access, nuclear weapons proliferation, and infrastructure protection. Accepting many uncertainties with future economic and technical solutions (even as proven systems are proposed), solar power provides the most stable future in terms of security alone. However, because these options are not mutually exclusive, both cases offer security challenges which are addressed in the concluding recommendations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Thibeaux, Allen L.
2008-12
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Disrupting the Illicit Small Arms Trafficking in the Middle East
"The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons delivers a global supply of weapons and ammunition to the demand of rogue state and non-state actors. While arms do not create conflict, they increase the intensity of violent conflict. The illicit trafficking of small arms contributes to irregular conflicts in the Middle East, a region of persistent conflict and instability. The international community has attempted to regulate the global supply of small arms through non-binding agreement and embargoes, but these efforts have been ineffective in achieving the goal of preventing the flow of weapons to criminal organizations, terrorists, and other de-stabilizing non-state actors. This thesis systematically examines the illicit small arms trade to identify points of vulnerability. This study identifies a strategy to disrupt the flow of arms to specific groups or states by countering arms brokers and the networks of actors that brokers coordinate."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Snyder, Neil N.
2008-12
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Counterinsurgency Meets Soft Power: An Alternative Approach to Deterring Terrorist Recruitment in Mindanao
"Terrorist activity in Southeast Asia remains a challenge to U.S. national security. In particular, terrorist organizations in the Philippines continue to conduct deadly attacks and attract more recruits despite U.S. and Philippine government counterinsurgency (COIN) efforts. Within the last seven years following the 9/11 terrorist attack, the Philippine and U.S. governments have combined efforts to address insurgency as a threat that hinders peace and security within the Philippines as well as Southeast Asia. Despite the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in Mindanao, the southern region of the Philippines continues to exist as a hub for terrorist recruitment, training, and operations. A key aspect of hindering insurgency growth within the Philippines is deterring terrorist recruitment by first identifying the underlying conditions that promote discontent among the people of Mindanao that make them susceptible to the ideology of militant Islam and then implementing a strategy that includes a full range of activities from kinetic to non-kinetic methods. It is clear that economic conditions, poor governance, lack of adequate social and educational programs are all contributing factors to the instability of Mindanao. What's not so clear is how to disrupt the cycle that sustains the terrorists while gaining the affection of the Muslim minority who have been in opposition with the predominantly Christian government. This thesis examines the counterinsurgency strategy by recognizing effective practices and identifying shortfalls in the approach. Our findings suggest that by applying a mix of soft power, as defined by Professor Joseph Nye, as well as noöpolitik as defined by Professor John Arquilla and Dave Ronfeldt, in relation to hard power practices, an alternative approach to counterinsurgency can offer the U.S. and Philippine governments a long-term sustainable strategy that will diminish future radical Islamic threats and stabilize Mindanao."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Williams, John; Smith, Jason; Stroh, Rieka
2008-12
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NATO and U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Programs: Divergent or Convergent Paths?
"NATO and the United States are actively pursuing missile defense policies. NATO has invested in the Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) information network to support the Theater Missile Defense (TMD) capabilities of specific Allies for the protection of forward deployed troops, and studies of the feasibility and political-military implications of Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) for the protection of NATO territory, forces and population centers. The U.S. program includes TMD activities in cooperation with NATO Allies, such as Patriot, as well as BMD research and deployment. The U.S. proposal to deploy BMD system elements in Poland and the Czech Republic has led to more extensive discussions of BMD in the Alliance. The North Atlantic Council made BMD-relevant decisions in April 2008. The United States and its NATO Allies nonetheless seem to differ greatly on the urgency and importance of pursuing BMD. TMD generates far more cooperation and support within the Alliance than does BMD for the protection of NATO territory, forces and population centers. This thesis compares TMD and BMD policies within the Alliance in an attempt to identify the causes of disagreements on BMD policy and to propose a course of action that may meet the Alliance's goals."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Toms, Kevin E.
2008-12
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Responding to Catastrophe via Law Enforcement Deployment Teams: A Policy Analysis
"This thesis is a policy analysis of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Law Enforcement Deployment Team concept. The concept outlines the need to form specialized regional law enforcement teams to be deployed across the nation to stricken regions. As written, these teams are designed to provide a backfill to law enforcement agencies who require additional assistance post-natural disaster or post-terror attack. Many of the tenets in this DHS concept and derived from existing federal teams such as the Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and Urban Search and Rescue Teams. The concept also outlines how teams will be comprised, what their expected missions will be and the general vision for how they will be equipped, trained and transported. However, analysis of this policy proposal showed the DHS concept does not provide a proposed structure or management organization to manage this potential national resource. Additionally, it lacks detail on how teams would be monitored, administered, and readied for deployment. This gap was the basis of this thesis project. The analysis of this condition starts by outlining the debate in law enforcement over the efficacy of centralized versus decentralized police structures. A brief historical narrative of the origins of U.S. law enforcement and review of the literature was used to demonstrate the breadth of this debate. Existing law enforcement management structures were reviewed to determine potential smart practices and to outline past errors to develop guideposts to be used in formulation of the law enforcement deployment team management system."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Gillespie, Bryan M.
2008-12
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Web Services Integration on the Fly
"This thesis explores a generic, flexible, scalable, usable and intelligent web services architecture framework that enables sharing and integration of data and tools on the fly. This software framework is a key enabler for systems of systems architecture in a net-centric environment. The envisioned Web Service Architecture Intelligent Framework (WSAIF) is applied to the Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) domain. Specifically, the framework is applied to provide the capability to search and retrieve visualization models and their matching behavior models in a collaborative environment. This thesis elaborates on the design, implementation, deployment and test results of web services for the Scenario Authoring and Visualization for Advanced Graphical Environments (SAVAGE) archive, which is a set of web-based 3D graphics models plus corresponding agent-behaviour models. SAVAGE web services can perform both 'find' and 'get' operations for models in the archives. SAVAGE web services operations can be composed to form business processes. These business processes can be expressed using modeling techniques such as Web Service Business Process Execution Language (WSBPEL). Future capabilities include semantic activities using Web Ontology Language for Services (OWL-S). The study and comparison of various modeling techniques that enable integration, orchestration and adaptation of composable web services is mentioned. The design and implementation approach matches industry best practices for information architectures. The modeling techniques are essential to and will eventually be used in WSAIF Orchestration and Adaptation components. This thesis further explores how WSAIF software agents, modeling data and supporting software infrastructure can someday enable web services integration on the fly and concludes with recommendations for future work."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Leong, Hoe Wai
2008-12
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What Makes Fusion Cells Effective?
"Intelligence Fusion Cells (or Fusion Centers) can be an effective means to best leverage the capabilities of various organizations and agencies in pursuit of a particular mission or objective. This thesis will examine what characteristics enable three types (DoD-led, State and Local Fusion Centers, and DOJ/OGA-led fusion cells) of fusion cells to be most effective. There is no set definition for how to measure 'effectiveness' across types of fusion cells. This fact created several research issues which are analyzed and discussed at length. After examining what makes these fusion cells effective, the authors will explore what lessons learned from fusion cells the U.S. Government can apply to the federal level to improve interagency cooperation and efficacy. The lessons from a more micro-level (fusion cells) can be applied to the more macro-level (interagency cooperation)."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Fussell, Christopher L.; Hough, Trevor W.; Pedersen, Matthew D.
2009-12
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Development of a Laboratory-Scale Test Facility to Investigate Armor Solutions against Buried Explosive Threats
"The purpose of this study was to drive a planar shock wave into a layer of sand for use in armor effectiveness studies. We proposed to use an explosively-driven flyer plate to impact the sand layer and launch a shock wave. In detail our concept is to use a slanted flyer plate, with an explosive layer underneath it, and accelerate the flyer plate by detonating the explosive. As the resulting detonation wave runs through the explosive layer, it pushes the flyer plate. If all the geometry is carefully designed and the flyer plate/explosive layers are precisely positioned, we will produce a flat flyer plate that travels on the order of 1 to 2 km/s towards a layer of sand. The subsequent impact will generate a shock wave within the sand that will eventually accelerate the sand with a flat top profile towards the intended target, thus achieving a flat sand-loading profile on the target. Success in these experiments will allow us to be able to test various armor designs for effectiveness in mitigating this threat. Since our experiments are done on a laboratory scale, armor testing can be done in a timely and cost-effective manner."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Garcia, Felipe
2009-12
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Understanding Environmental Factors that Affect Violence in Salinas, California
"When a community is plagued by violence, the natural tendency is to determine how to change or reduce the violence levels. In the process, an equally important question of why violence occurs is often overlooked. This thesis analyzes the why with respect to violence levels in Salinas, California. In order to determine specific environmental factors that affect violence in Salinas, the authors postulate nine broad independent variables (IVs) for analysis: Economy; Population; Housing; Education; Police Force; Prison Influence; Gang Rivalry; Social Service Programs; and Community Involvement. These independent variables were compared to the violence rate per capita in Salinas to determine which environmental factors influence violence in Salinas. Although data was not available for all of the IVs, the authors determined that the following factors influence violence in Salinas: the unemployment rate, average persons per household, vacant housing units, housing units per capita, the high school dropout rate, the high school graduation rate, the school average daily attendance, and the school budget. To lower overall violence levels, officials in Salinas should focus on: reducing the unemployment rate, the number of vacant housing units, and the high school dropout rate; and increasing the high school graduation rate and average daily attendance."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Clarke, Jason; Onufer, Tracy L.
2009-12
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Simulation-Based Analysis of Tactical and Evaluation of Tactical Multi-Hop Radio Networks
"For many years, the technologies involved in the newest generations of tactical communication equipment have increased the reliability and security of tactical voice communications from the highest to the lowest levels of combat command. However, the complexities inherent to wireless data networks have prevented the reach of valuable data links from extending efficiently and reliably to the lowest levels of tactical command. This thesis attempts to quantify the performance of tactical data networks using existing technologies and currently deployed mobile wireless networking devices by analyzing the results of network simulations involving currently deployed devices. By quantifying these performance metrics and comparing them to previously collected simulation results involving experimental technologies, we hope to provide a mode of comparison that will accurately reflect the degree to which newer mobile wireless networking devices will benefit our operational forces."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Smith, Howard D.
2009-03
